Witchdoctor's Johnny Dyani

Reissue of a 1979 duo recording of legendary South African bassist Johnny Dyani (of The Blue Notes) and drummer Clifford Jarvis (who played with Sun Ra for over two decades).

For this session, recorded only six weeks after Afrika on Steeplechase, South African bassist Johnny Dyani continued the use of a six-or seven-member ensemble and inched closer to the sort of music Abdullah Ibrahim, one of his mentors, was creating at around the same time with his band Ekaya. The edgy roughness and avant-garde affinity shown in his earlier ensembles with John Tchicai and Dudu Pukwana have been replaced by a slightly smoother (though, certainly, still rambunctious) sound and more song-oriented pieces. The band's a strong one, however, the compositions are engaging and the soloing imaginative. A couple of the pieces, including "Song for the Workers," still have the aching, bitter quality of his best work…

Johnny Dyani - Witchdoctor's Son (1978) {SteepleChase SCCD-31098}
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© 1978 SteepleChase | SCCD 31186
Jazz / Jazz Funk / African Jazz / Bass

Since his arrival in England as a South African expatriate in the early '60s and as a member of the Blue Notes, bassist Johnny Dyani served as a powerful and creative component of innumerable ensembles (including those led by Abdullah Ibrahim and Chris McGregor) before releasing a series of albums under his own name in the late '70s and '80s. Witchdoctor's Son is certainly one of the best of these, featuring the wonderful dual reed frontline of John Tchicai and fellow ex-pat Dudu Pukwana.

Per Henrik Wallin, Johnny Dyani & Erik Dahlback - Burning In Stockholm (1981) {Atavistic ‎UMS/ALP249CD rel 2004}
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© 1981, 2004 Atavistic | ‎UMS/ALP249CD | Unheard Music Series
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Piano

These three men are well-known in free improvisation contexts. The two Swedes, pianist Per Henrik Wallin and drummer Erik Dahlback, form two thirds of a trio whose bassist surely couldn't have minded the amazing and now departed South African bassist filling his role on this 1981 date. The music might be called free improvisation, but there's nothing weirdly dark or uncontrolled—or tame or dull or incoherent.

Johnny Dyani - Afrika (1983) {SteepleChase SCCD 31186 rel 1992}
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© 1983, 1992 SteepleChase | SCCD 31186
Jazz / Jazz Funk / African Jazz / Bass

For Afrika, South African expatriate bassist Johnny Dyani enlarged his group to a septet from the quartet formation he had used on prior Steeplechase recordings and, in the process, shifted gears slightly from the deeper, beautifully bitter songs that had been his forte (such as "House Arrest" on Mbizo) to a somewhat lighter fare, replete with catchy, skipping melodies and funky electric bass. Something of the township feel, so basic to his work, was also lost by replacing Dudu Pukwana with veteran saxman Charles Davis and by the odd inclusion of steel drums which supply a lilting quality.

Abdullah Ibrahim & Johnny Dyani - Echoes from Africa (1979) {Enja 3047 2 rel 1990}
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© 1979, 1990 Enja Records | Enja 3047 2
Jazz / African Folk / African Jazz / Bass / Piano

This is a rather emotional duet set by pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and bassist Johnny Dyani, two masterful musicians from South Africa. Their often introspective music includes three originals (with one piece dedicated to McCoy Tyner) plus a nearly 17-minute improvisation based on a folk melody that also allows one to hear the voices of the two musicians. This moody music has an almost sacred credibility and is quite personal.

Bassist Johnny Dyani had a large tone and a relaxed yet authoritative style. On this classic SteepleChase release he teams up with two other South African expatriates (altoist Dudu Pukwana and drummer Makay Ntshoko) plus cornetist Don Cherry for music that is haunting, emotional, somewhat adventurous, yet also melodic. While "Song for Biko" is the most memorable piece, all five of Dyani's originals (including the 16-and-a-half-minute "Jo'burg-New York") are special. The music combines together Dyani's South African folk heritage with Ornette Coleman's free bop and elements of avant-garde jazz.

Johnny Dyan, Okay Temiz, Mongezi Feza - Music for Xaba (1973) {Sonet SNTF642}
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© 1972, 1999 Sonet Productions | SNTF 642
Jazz / African Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Experimental / Organic Jazz / Ethnic Jazz / Spiritual Jazz

"As one might expect from a group incorporating Dyani, this is not a conventional Jazz piece." "The man of star-cut and long thoughtful solos." "Traditional South African songs being ostensibly, reflects on the Khosa tribal heritage of Dyani." -Steve Lake (Melody Maker, 1972)